Fear

I have a fear of snakes, some would say it is irrational fear of snakes, but it is a fear of snakes. I will walk out of my way when I see a street performer that has a snake wrapped around them.

I have a memories as a child of garter snakes – yes garter snakes, paralyzing me where I was at.  I remember one time seeing the snake, screaming, my dad coming and him looking at me like you screamed loud enough that you scared the snake away.

I was the kid that sat at the back of the class when the naturalist would bring snakes out for us to pet, and the naturalist would say “oh just pet it”  my response was always a firm “no.”

People might find this fear of snakes a little odd, as other creatures such as mice, spiders, even centipedes, don’t freak me out, they gross me out at times, but they do not freak me out.  The other thing that people find odd is that my favorite animal is an Alligator.  I love alligators. I think that they have cute faces, but what I really like about the alligator is you know the expectations of the alligator. Get in my space, and I will defend my space. Where a snake is like I will invade your space no matter what.

Fear is that way, it has no respect for your personal space, it will take over your life if you let it. If you start looking and listening to everything around you, fear will paralyze you.  That is what some people hope for, they are hoping that what they say or what do will make you afraid enough to change how you interact with them or how you think.

So how do you change that? How do you knock that fear down? Face it – so much easier said then done. I will tell you right now that me knocking out my fear of snakes is probably not going to happen.  The fear has de-intensified over the years, but I am still not petting one.

Facing a fear is so hard, especially when it is something might change how you live or look at your life. Maybe you are living in fear of the diagnosis that could change your life, or you are in fear of changing your job. Or making a move to a different state.  

Whatever that fear is plan, diagnosis that scares you to the core, make a plan with your doctor on how to best tackle that diagnosis. Want to change jobs or a move? Plan for how that will look, timeline included.  Bring in friends and family in on your plans, to help you when you feel like giving up, look at that plan, and remind yourself that fear is not going to win, having a hard time that is where the friends and family come in. Reach out to them, tell them that you are having doubts, give light to that fear, just like me screaming at the snake when I was little to let my dad know that I was in distress, this allows people to know that you are struggling but also gives them a chance to support you.

Fear can control you but in the end, you can control the fear.

Until next time,

Juli